On Monday, the Nets lost to upstart Charlotte Hornets in their second game of the season. They lost the game 95-111 at home, with just 47 points in the second half and just 17 in the fourth quarter. Now it's only 1-2. Kevin Durant is not the problem. Durant shot 17-of-24 from the field and scored a game-high 38 points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal. But the rest of the team shot 21-of-63.
James Harden has had a triple-double in all three games this season. He wasn't there yet, but he was filling the score bar. Harden ended up with 15 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Beard also had 8 turnovers and 5 individual fouls, which wasn't his most efficient game. But the most incredible thing was watching the entire game, harden only tried the free throw once.
Harden averaged double-digit free throw shooting per game in his seven-season career. In his final game in Houston, he had 11.8 free rebounds per game. This year? He averaged just three shots per game. What the hell is going on?
On the one hand, the NBA has emphasized that it will no longer reward "non-basketball" offensive players.
Remember, just last season, Nets coach Steve Nash was disappointed with the way Atlanta Hawks star Troy Young refereed. Last season, when watching Young's "breakout-interception action" lead to fouls again and again, Nash duplicitously said "that's not basketball." The action of jumping backwards or sideways to the defender.
After Monday's game with the Hornets, head coach Steve Nash was asked why the referee didn't blow a foul on Harden.
The head coach encouraged Harden by saying: "Yeah, I think he has to stick with it, I think he's unfairly become the poster child for not blowing fouls. But some of them are really foul, but [the officials] are just so vigilant and aware that he is the poster child for these new [rules]. I know there are bottom lines, but some are still fouls. So he could only hold on. ”
Kevin Durant certainly doesn't sound worried that this will become a trend.
Kevin Durant said of James Harden no longer fouling: "To be honest, I don't think a change in the rules will affect anyone's game. ”
Harden himself, is he worried or frustrated? Harden was asked if he agreed with coach Nash's assessment that referees might treat him a little differently because of his reputation.
Harden said: "Yeah, of course, but I'm not the kind of person who will complain, sometimes I feel like going into a game that's already doomed or I've had the shame of being sentenced, but I'm just asking the referee to give a penalty based on what they see. ”
Aside from the problem of not being able to reach the free throw line, Harden doesn't look 100% in form. Only played three games this year. He spends a large portion of his summer resting and recovering secondary hamstrings. It seems that he has not yet returned to his peak state.
After losing the game, Harden was asked how his physical condition and self-confidence were.
The bearded man admitted: "I am regaining my confidence, you know, I am a little hesitant .... You can see that last year went through a lot of ups and downs and then came to training camp healthy and then made sure I was in shape to the level it needed. ”
Harden: "Make sure my confidence continues to build, that's the most important thing, we're in game three and hopefully my confidence — certainly not hopefully — but my confidence will go up. As the game progresses, I'm going to get better and better, I'm going to be more confident and I'm going to get the kind of explosive power I'm used to. So don't worry. ”
It sounds like Harden knows that the authorities have cracked down on some of his tricks (like he hooked his arm under a defensive player's arm to make others think he was fouled). But he didn't seem worried, because he knew he would eventually get fouls. He's a very good scorer and organizer, and defenders often combos (if not falls) try to slow him down.
It's funny, but not surprising, to hear him make an honest assessment of his physical condition. He didn't live up to his usual standards, and it did sound a bit of an impact on his confidence.
But my hunch was that both he and the Nets decided to take a conservative approach. It would be wise to slowly cheer him up. But when that moment comes, when he regains that explosive force, he doesn't have to worry about the tendons... Be careful. Who knows, maybe he'll get more calls too.